Republican Follies

Thursday, September 1, 2011

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“We have met the enemy and he is us.” ~Pogo, title character in the long-running comic strip by Walt Kelly (1913-1973)

Pogo combined sophisticated wit and slapstick physical comedy. It helped articulate the human condition and the foibles of mankind.

Today we hear ad infinitum that our political system in Washington is broken. The people who have been elected to serve the people’s interest, decide what is best for the country, and govern like critically thinking individuals are in actuality bought and paid for by special interests and advance a very corrupt agenda.

Kelly’s title character, Pogo Possum, is very much the everyman of the Okefenokee swamp he lives in, and maintains his personable and humble nature even in the face of neighbors motivated by selfishness who wish to take advantage of him at every turn. Welcome to the new vision for America, where the vast majority of good and trusting people are told every day to accept mediocrity and to let their America become the sole possession of the very rich and powerful to do with as they please.

This has never been more evident than in the politics of self-aggrandizement practiced by the Republican Party in 2011. While the examples of this are plentiful just a few speak volumes.

We saw last month the United States of America being held hostage by the Tea Party faction of the Republican Party which was, incredibly, rooting for this country to default on its debts. Even today candidate Michele Bachman says she would not have raised the debt ceiling and that she remains opposed to the compromise that eventually prevented default.

The next casualty is short- and long-term help for the middle class. The bulwark of American society since World War II, the middle class is now hurting from high unemployment, flat wages, and disappearing voices for their interests in the beltway.

With the presidential election just 15 months away, Republicans will use the national deficit as kryptonite to try and defeat any jobs program offered by the White House. The return of a Republican to the presidency hinges on the malaise and discontent of the working people of this country — the base that brought victory in 2008 to the Democrats. With no concern for the damage being inflicted on our economy and the U.S. electorate, the Republicans’ myopic strategy for winning is firmly in place.

And finally, in menacing the great public projects this country cherishes, from its highway systems, to the power grids, to the National Parks that adorn our landscape, the G.O.P. has given us maybe the most cause for dismay and melancholy. The rhetoric from the right wing is dogmatic “We are broke and we (we being the American people) must expect less.

This has become a defining moment in the American political theater. A message not of American spirit, innovation, and self-determination in our future but one that speaks of our past as being nothing but reckless spending, our present as a time to avoid rather than solve the problems we face, and our future as a long arduous road with little hope or betterment for the “everyman” of tomorrow.

The Republican Party is entrenched in the belief that infra-structure, modern technology, and education must take a back seat to an antiquated fiscal ideology. They will demonize compromise and “out of the box thinking” as a liberal conspiracy, and they are willing to see the natural treasures of this nation, including the National Parks estabished by Republican President Teddy Roosevelt, closed or understaffed at a time when people need to be reminded what great beauty this country is blessed with.

A poster bearing Walt Kelly’s words “We have met the enemy and he is us” was created for the first Earth Day in 1971. Those words can easily be applied not only to poor environmental policies but to political discourse that refuses to listen to an idea from anyone labeled as liberal; or that ignores a true conservative position of holding the people in power accountable to spend responsibly.

In Pogo, many of the swamp residents want Pogo to run for President against his will. Too many Americans today want to hold back when it comes to political participation; we will be ushering in an Age of Mediocrity if we choose to stand idly by.

Comments

"The Republican Party is entrenched in the belief that infra-structure, modern technology, and education must take a back seat to an antiquated fiscal ideology. They will demonize compromise and “out of the box thinking” as a liberal conspiracy, and they are willing to see the natural treasures of this nation, including the National Parks estabished by Republican President Teddy Roosevelt, closed or understaffed at a time when people need to be reminded what great beauty this country is blessed with."

No. They are against throwing good many after bad. Throwing money into make work infrastructure type projects does what now? Create jobs? What kind of jobs? When the third lane is finished, the job is over. Just look at the current project in Santa Barbara. That freeway widening project has been going on for how long? Four years? And, they're still talking about at least another year before it's finished? Talk about milking it! Tell me that one's not a government run money sink hole. And, throwing more and more money into an ever failing-to-produce-results public school system will help how? Our kids will more effectively learn how to put a condom on a banana, or learn more about same sex marriage, or learn more about transgender lifestyles? They can't read, or write, or do math! Yet, we inundate them with this stupid social consciousness raising garbage at the expense of a real education. Who wants to throw money into that? And modern technology? What modern technology has the government ever produced? It is the private sector that develops technology in this country. And, it is the private sector that is continually demonized by the left in this country. It is the left that effectively killed the U.S. manned space program by not funding the CEV. Now, we are forced to hitch a ride with the Russians to get to our own space station, and at a greatly increased cost per astronaut on a vastly inferior launch vehicle. And, what "out of the box thinking" are we talking about? You mean the stimulus? Quantitative easing? Cash for clunkers? And finally, how does understaffing a national park necessitate its closing, or diminish its beauty? Only government would mandate that wilderness areas not be so wild, by making sure there's a federal employee at every entrance waiting to take more of our money to enter a national park that we already paid for. By the way. Roosevelt ended his political career in the Progressive (Bull Moose) Party.

wow - What planet is Jeff Moualim living on. Every action taken by the current administration has been a failure - even by it's own benchmarks. And this is the republican's fault? Those standing up to this serial stupidity are "holding us hostage"? Look around you - it's not working - and the response is ... More of the same - more programs, more regulation, more debt, more ..... - And this doesn't even include that which is already in the pipeline - national health care. It's obviously unsustainable and we're reaching the end of our credit. The country is bankrupt and ... the tea party is responsible for this? So far they've only managed to point out the most glaringly obvious problems. Though quite an accomplishment in these times - still far short of anything substantive.

"By the way. Roosevelt ended his political career in the Progressive (Bull Moose) Party."

How is this relevant? Roosevelt was elected to the Presidential Office as a Republican, which fits with what is written in the letter. What Roosevelt did *after* leaving the Oval Office--and the Republican Party--has no bearing on the content.

Instead of our "...antiquated fiscal ideology" I suggest we follow the progressive model so admired from afar as practiced in Greece, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, and Italy on our way over the cliff...Did anyone notice 1,100 workers got laid off this week in NorCal from the very same solar energy company, now filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy, that Obama personally heralded as a prime example of innovative thinking in green technologies to drive our "new economy" and the recipient of significant public funds under the stimulus?

I am in complete agreement. Far more is going on. Let's apply a combination of the failed attempt to stimulate Japan's economy with the failed attempt at new socialism in Western Europe. In math, at least, a negative times a negative equals a positive so this should work...

What I profoundly disagree with, as usual, is the attempt to portray problems from a purely political point of view. Also, as usual, looking to either the progressives or neo cons, or the partisan blaming of either side does not lead to understanding the problem or creating a solution.

So far every one of you is making good points. Wouldn't it be great if the voters realized that for the most part they want the same things (basic needs being met; freedom from oppression) and demanded that of their government.

Tea Party folks are upset at Republicans, and lots of Progressive Democrats upset with Obama.

equus_posteriori. I would think that even you might understand that being a republican does not necessarily mean being a conservative. What people do in their lives, irrespective of the time they did it, is very telling of where their thoughts are, and may have been. Way to pick at it, though.